In connection with the strengthening of the Strategic Dialog between the Russian Federation and the DPRK, as agreed by the leaders of the two countries during their June 2024 summit, on October 28 a delegation headed by Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui left Pyongyang for an official visit to Moscow.
Itinerary of the trip
At Pyongyang International Airport, Choe Son-hui was seen off by Alexander Matsegora, Russia’s ambassador to the DPRK, and by Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jong-gyu. On October 29, she arrived in Vladivostok, and flew to Moscow the next day.
The November 1 meeting began at Yaroslavsky Railway Station, where Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Choe Son-hui jointly unveiled a memorial plaque commemorating Kim Il Sung’s visit to the USSR in 1949. The appearance of the plaque was called “a significant event emphasizing the memory of those years when our interaction, close friendship and practical partnership began.” What is more, the project was initiated not by the Kremlin, but by Russian Railways, the Moscow Government and the Embassy of the DPRK in the Russian Federation.
The Foreign Ministers then held talks, which lasted for three hours, in the Reception House of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In his opening remarks, the Russian Foreign Minister called the upcoming talks “strategic consultations,” noting that “relations between our countries have reached an unprecedentedly high level over the past few years thanks to the special attention paid to them by Russian President Vladimir Putin and DPRK State Affairs Chairman Kim Jong-un.” Expressing support for “our North Korean friends for their principled position on the current events in Ukraine as a result of the West’s course of advancing NATO to the East and encouraging an openly racist regime,” he noted the close and intensive contacts “between the two countries’ military and security services” and the work of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, whose eleventh meeting is scheduled to take place in November this year in Pyongyang.
Choe Son-hui noted the strength of the ties between the two countries, which have been tested by history and are set to last for a century to come. She then drew attention to the unstable security situation on the Korean Peninsula due to actions of the US, in response to which the DPRK policy of strengthening its own nuclear forces will remain unchanged. The minister specifically emphasized that from the very beginning of Russia’s Special Military Operation, Kim Jong-un had instructed his subordinates “to consistently support the Russian army and people without looking backwards at anyone.”
Following the ministerial talks, Moscow and Pyongyang issued a a press statement accusing the United States and its “vassal states” of escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, in Northeast Asia and other regions in the world. Russia expressed full support for the measures taken by the DPRK’s leadership aimed at curbing the aggressive policy of the United States and its allies. The two Ministers also noted that during the strategic dialogue, they had an in-depth exchange of views on practical issues relating to bilateral relations, with a focus on the implementation of the agreements reached during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Pyongyang in June this year. Details of the talks, including specific issues discussed, were not disclosed.
On November 1, Choe Son-hui and her entourage laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by the Kremlin Wall. She was accompanied by senior Russian Foreign Ministry officials, including Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko.
Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with Choe Son-hui on November 4. The meeting was held in a closed format, with the press only admitted for an initial address. The Russian side was represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation Yuri Ushakov. According to KCNA, Choe Son-hui “respectfully conveyed to Comrade Vladimir Putin a warm comradely greeting from Comrade Kim Jong-un,” and following the return greeting “a useful conversation took place, touching on issues related to many affairs aimed at the continuous strengthening and development of relations between the two countries.”
On her way home, Choe Son-hui met with the Governor of Primorsky Krai Oleg Kozhemyako in Vladivostok. During the talks, the two sides discussed the development of bilateral cooperation in the fields of tourism, culture and sports. In particular, the tendency to develop transport communication between the two countries was noted. Next year, the Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist zone will open, and Oleg Kozhemyako pointed out that this will be of interest to Russian tourists.
On November 6, Choe Son-hui returned to Pyongyang and in a brief conversation with the Russian ambassador, she emphasized that she was very satisfied with the results of her trip and grateful for the attention she received from Russian friends. She emphasized the central event of the visit—a meeting in the Kremlin with the President of the Russian Federation.
Agenda and key statements
One of the outcomes of the meeting, it appears, is a statement that in November Pyongyang will host a meeting of the DPRK-Russia Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation which “will develop recommendations enabling the two countries to continue with the progressive development of [their] trade, investment and economic ties.”
The two parties made many key statements, in addition to those mentioned above, but the limited scope of this article forces us to highlight the most important quotes.
Sergei Lavrov:
- The Strategic Partnership Treaty between Russia and the DPRK is intended to play a stabilizing role in Northeast Asia.
- In view of international and regional issues, it is necessary for the two countries to “coordinate their agendas on a regular basis.”
- Contacts between the military and special services of Russia and the DPRK have enabled the two countries to resolve practically significant and important security tasks.
- Moscow appreciates the “active ties in the spheres of cultural and humanitarian exchanges and of education, and is determined to develop them further.”
Choe Son-hui
- The DPRK has no doubts about Russia’s victory in the conflict in Ukraine and will “stand firmly beside [its] Russian comrades.”
- The security situation on the Korean Peninsula could become “explosive at any moment” due to the “transformation of the US-South Korean alliance into a military partnership with a nuclear component.”
Overall:
- Both parties noted their commitment to the full implementation of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty and in pursuance of this will hold regular in-depth consultations on bilateral relations and international policy issues, both at the highest diplomatic level and between the relevant deputy foreign ministers and heads of government bodies.
- Both countries agree in their assessment of the current situation in the world. Russia expressed support for the measures taken by the DPRK leadership to curb the aggressive policy of the United States and its allies in Northeast Asia, and the two countries agreed that the cause of the escalation on the Korean Peninsula is the actions of the United States and its satellites.
To summarize the results of the visit by the DPRK’s Foreign Minister to the Russian Federation, it is worth highlighting the following points:
- The visit was quite long, and the North Korean Foreign Minister met with Russian officials not only in Moscow but also in Vladivostok, thus strengthening cooperation not only at the federal but also at the regional level.
- The visit was positioned as a strategic consultation, and such consultations are likely to take place regularly. Article 3 of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty speaks of the need for such measures if either country is under the threat of armed conflict.
- Despite the length of the talks, their content, in general, remains secret, and the parties have not mentioned any specific decisions, but instead have explicitly expressed their support for each other’s course. Although anti-Pyongyang propaganda interprets the minister’s long stay in Russia and the lack of concrete results as a sign that the two sides have not agreed on anything very important, this interpretation is mere speculation.
Konstantin Asmolov, Candidate of Historical Sciences, leading researcher of the Center for Korean Studies of the Institute of China and Modern Asia of the Russian Academy of Sciences, exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook”
